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1952 - Berkeley. California. Our supply of letters of invitation to The Gordon Research Conference on Nuclear Chemistry arrived from Charles ...
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Presented at the 40th AAAS Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry, New London, NH, June 27,1991, and to be published in the Proceedings
G.T. Seaborg
June 1991
$Vis\c£/
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The 40th AAAS Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry
Remarks by Glenn T. Seaborg Colby Sawyer Junior College New London, New Hampshire June 27, 1991
I am pleased to speak at the Fortieth Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry. I served as Chairman of the first Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry held June 23-27, 1952, at New Hampton, New Hampshire.
In my remarks, during which I shall quote from my journal, I shall describe some of the background leading up to the first Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry and my attendance at the first seven Gordon Conferences during the period 1952 through 1958. I shall also quote my description of my appearance as the featured speaker at the Silver Anniversary of the Gordon Research Conferences on December 27, 1956 held at the Commodore Hotel in New York City.
I shall begin with reference to my participation in the predecessor to the Gordon Conferences, the Gibson Island Research Conferences 45 years ago, on Thursday, June 20, 1946, as a speaker. This was 15 years after the start of these conferences in 1931. Neil Gordon played a leading role in these conferences, which were named (in 1948) in his honor ~ the Gordon Research Conferences — soon after they were moved to Colby Junior College, New London, New Hampshire in 1947. W. George Parks became Director in 1947, Alexander Cruickshank became Assistant Director in 1947 and Director in 1968.
In this summary I show a list of all the Chairmen of the Gordon Conferences on Nuclear Chemistry from their start in 1952 up to the present time, 1991 (attached).
Thursday. June 20. 1946 - D.C./Gibson Island. Maryland
I arrived in Washington, then travelled to Gibson Island, Maryland.
I gave the talk, "Use of Radioactive Tracers in Chemical Research," (see abstract attached) to the Gibson Island Conference on Petroleum (see program attached).
Wednesday. July 18. 1951 - Berkeley. California
I replied to a July 11th letter from Charles Coryell, who wrote at length about the first Gordon AAAS Conference on Nuclear Chemistry scheduled for 1952. Coryell said that Dr. Herman Mark (Chair, Management Committee, Gordon Conferences) informed him that I am Chairman and he
1952 G.T. Seaborg 1953 C.D.Coiyell 1954 G. Friedlander 1955 A. Turkevtch 1956 L.Yaffe 1957 Earl K. Hyde 1958 John R. Huyizenga 1959 Morris L. Perlman
1960 John O. Rasmussen 1961 EUis P. Steinberg 1962 Arthur W. Fairhall 1963 J. M. Miller 1964 T. Darrah Thomas 1965 Richard M. Diamond 1966 John M. Alexander 1967 G. Davis O'Kelley Raymond K. Sheline 1968 Robert Vandenbosch 1969 Sven Bjornholm
1970 Arthur M. Poskanzer 1971 Thomas T. Sugihara 1972 M. Marshall Blann 1973 Eugene Eichler 1974 James J. Griffin 1975 P. G. Hansen 1976 J. Rayford Nix 1977 Frank S. Stephens 1978 Franz Plasil 1979 Noah R. Johnson
1980 H. C. Britt 1981 Amand Faessler 1982 Luciano G. Moretto 1983 David Ward 1984 J. B. Natowitz 1985 Lee L. Riedinger 1986 Victor Viola 1987 D. B. Fossan 1988 J. Randrup 1989 Teng Lek Knoo 1990 W. U. Schroder 1991 J.D.Garrett
January g, 1946
1946 Gibson Island Conference on Petroleum Oh—lstry
Monday, June 17
A.M. Infrared and Raman spectra (considered from a fundamental point of view) — Prof. B. Bright Wilson, Jr. P.M. Ultraviolet absorption speotra (theoretloal aspeots) ~ Prof. R. S. Hulliken,
Tuesday, June IS
A.M. Theory of the chemical bond and resonance in hydrocarbons — Prof. G. W. Wheland.
Afternoon Report of Committee on future policy of Conference on Petroleum Chemistry at Gibson Island ~ Prof. P, D, Bartlett. Discussion is invited.
P.M. Isomerizatlon equilibria in high molecular weight paraffins — Dr. L. S. Kassel,
Wednesday, June 19
A.M. Theory of viscosity of hydrocarbons — Prof. Henry Eyring. P.M. Correlation of structure with physical properties of heavy hydrocarbons — Dr. R. W. Sohiessler.
Thursday, June 20
A.M. Use of stable isotopic tracer elements in chemical research— Dr. A. Parkas. P.M. Use\of radioaotive tracers in chemical research — Dr. G. T. Seaborg,
Friday, June 21
A.M. Recent developments in spectroohemioal analysis — Dr. 0. Beeck*
is Vice-Chairman; he then went on to make several suggestions. I replied that I have not yet heard from Dr. Mark, but I agree with his preliminary comments on the areas that might be covered and am especially interested in having some topics concerning the nucleus. I mentioned that I shall spend about two weeks at the International Congress in New York, so that we will have a chance to get together then; I concluded by telling Coryell that we had a nice visit with Dr. Pappas.
Monday. September 10. 1951 - New York. New York
At 10 a.m., in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel New Yorker. I gave the introductory remarks at the Nuclear Chemistry Section of the Xllth International Congress of Pure and Applied Chemistry, I said:
As you know, we are celebrating at this same time the 75th anniversary of the founding of the American Chemical Society. The science of nuclear Chemistry is not quite this old, but it would be fair to presume that we are celebrating as well the semi-centennial of the founding of this science. Probably most scientists would agree that the elegant experiments of Madam Curie on the isolation of radium at the turn of the century represents the birthdate of nuclear chemistry. We are especially pleased to have with us here today such men as Fritz Paneth, who has been present almost from the birth of this science and who is still active today. This I know is a thrill to many recent disciples in this field who are with us today. Unfortunately, Hevesy, who also has been active in the field since almost the beginning, has found it necessary to change his plans and cannot be Willi u s here.
Tuesday. September 11. 1951 - New York. New York
The Nuclear Chemistry Section Dinner was held at 6:30 p.m. in the Keystone Room of the Statler. We had no after-dinner speaker, but instead I called on many of the "old timers" to reminisce. Some of those who spoke were Fritz Paneth, Berta Karlik, Les Cook, John Willard, Kasimir Fajans, Bill Libby, Charles Coryell, George Boyd, Milton Burton, and Gert Friedlander. At the dinner I presented Berta Karlik with a copy of Volume 9 (Fission Productsl and a copy of Volume 14B (Transuranium Elements! of the National Nuclear Energy Series. Miss Karlik seemed most pleased with the gift.
Later some of the younger men, including such people as Meinke, Rasmussen, and Diamond, approached me and told me that they found the speakers both amusing and inspirational.
Wednesday. September 12. 1951 - New York. New York
Charles Coryell spoke with me for a few minutes about plans for the 1952 Gordon Conference in Nuclear Chemistry (scheduled for the week of June 23, 1952). This will be the first Gordon Conference in this field.
Informal reports by representatives of any foreign laboratories will be especially welcome.
New Hampton is in the middle of the vacation state of New Hampshire in a good place to use the afternoons for swimming, hiking, golf, or bull sessions. It is about 110 miles north of Boston, and Is served by trains from North Station, Boston, to Franklin, N.H. Accommodations are available for wives and for children over six, and the food is excellent.
The whole list of Gordon Conferences will be announced February 18th in Science and in Chemical and Engineering News. Applications for attendance are to be submitted to Professor W. George Parks, Department of Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I. Attendance is regulated by committee action to keep the number present within limits of accommodations and to a figure consistent with maximal friendly interchange of ideas.
We hope very much that you will give this conference consideration, and that you will discuss it with other nuclear chemists who might not have heard of it.
(s) Glenn T. Seaborg and Charles D. Coryell
Tuesday. March 11. 1952 - Berkeley. California
Back on the hill I read a letter from W. George Parks (Director of the Gordon Conferences), suggesting that our conference be represented at a meeting of the Advisory Board of the Gordon Research Conference at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 1952, in the Georgian Room of the Hotel Statler in Buffalo at the time of the ACS meeting. I had Doral copy the memorandum and send it to Coryell, along with a covering letter from me explaining that I won't be able to attend this meeting because that is the time for the meeting of the Executive Committee of the ACS Division of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. I wrote that perhaps he (Coryell) will be willing to attend and, if so, he should get in touch with Parks directly.
Tuesday. May 6. 1952 - Berkeley. California
In a letter to Charles Coryell I asked if he would be willing to round up or cause to be rounded up a number of sets of golf clubs since practically the entire California contingent will be interested in this activity and the required implements are too bulky and heavy to transport al! the way from California or Chicago. I added that I have the impression that our Gordon Conference is going to be oversubscribed, on the basis of the numerous reports I have heard of people wishing to attend. I said I presume that the handling of the applications by Parks is going smoothly.
Monday. June 23. 1952 - New Hampton School. New Hampton. New Hampshire
This is the first Gordon Research Conference on Nuclear Chemistry, sponsored by AAAS and being held in the relaxing setting of the New Hampton School~I am Chairman, and Charles D. Coryell is Vice-Chairman. Meetings are held in Meservey Hall (see program attached) at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the afternoon free for conversation or relaxation (swimming, golf, tennis, side trips, etc.).
Maurice Goldhaber was the discussion leader at this morning's session on Nuclear Physics, and he and his wife Gertrude Scharff-Goldhaber spoke. Among the items he covered were K/L gamma ray conversion ratios, and she gave a summary of nuclear spin agreement with the shell model.
Those in attendance were: Dr. Parks, N. Sugarman, J. E. Willard, M. Goldhaber, I. Perlman, C. Coryell, G. T. Seaborg, G. Friedlander, J. W. Kennedy, Gertrude Scharff-Goldhaber, Michael A. Goldhaber, Joan Welker, Jerome Howland, Elizabeth D. Wilson, Clarence Heininger, Carl R. Wilson, Bruce Dropesky, Alois Langer, A. Ghiorso, I. B. Whitney, W. Crane, K. Street, L. O. Morgan, L. B. Magnusson, Edgar F. Westrum, Jr., O. F. Hill, H. W. Alter, A. D. Kirshenbaum, G. W. Parker, John R. Bradford, L. S. Foster, Nathan E. Ballou. L. Zumwalt, William H. Beamer, A. F. Voigt, E. O. Wiig, R. W. Dodson, L. G. Stang, Jr., George Ford, C. S. Fisher, Raymond K. Sheline, Mis. R. K. (Yvonne) Sheline, Luis Marquez, Marguerite Marquez, Jane Wagner, Marg Parker, Paul Fields, F. W. Melpolder, T. B. Novey, Rene J. Prestwood, Lionel S. Goldring, J. Cobble, John W. Barnes, Kathryn Johnston, H. L. Finston, John R. Huizenga, James W. Cobble. J. S. Gllmore, W. H. Johnston, R. R. Tomilson, Frank G. Young, S. E. Stephanou, L. B. Werner, S. Katcoff, Louise Clark, J. J. Mitchell, E. H. Fleming, Jr., T. P. Kohman, D. S. Salley, F. C. Mead, Jr., F. Albaugh, R. R. Edwards, R., A. Brightsen, A. W. K'artin, James Arnold, L. Yaffe, John W. Jones, W. W. Meinke, Philip Shapiro, J. M. Miller, J. C. Miskel, C. J. Borkowski, R. W. Fink, R. R. Williams, A. L. Thompson, George K. Schweitzer, H. M. DeAngelis, B- C. Haldar. Dale L. Milhelm, L. E. Glendenin, A, DeHann, Jr. A. W. Adamson, H. Suess, J. P, Cali, R. P. Schuman, E. J. Fang, John P. Butler, R. Spence, Richard Wolfgang, P, R. O'Connor, and R. P. Epple.
I talked with a number of people in the afternoon on a variety of subjects. Ray Sheline, Ray Stoughton, and Rod Spence asked for a copy of my Ohio State address.
Before the evening session the group was photographed (Figure 1).
Nathan Sugarman and I were the discussion leaders for the evening session for the topic, "High Energy Nuclear Reactions." Scheduled speakers included A. L. Thompson and Iz Perlman, Jack Miller and Ed Wiig, Luis Marquez and Tony Turkevich. The topic is so large that it will be continued tomorrow.
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Tuesday. June 24. 1952 - New Hampton. New Hampshire
The morning session consisted of a continuation of the topic of High Energy Nuclear Reactions with the remainder of the scheduled speakers giving their talks.
The free afternoons allow time for a lot of discussion, both scientific and personal, among the participants. Among the people with whom I talked were Turkevich (on pi meson reactions), Kohman (he wants me to predict the alpha decay energy of P b 2 0 4 ; he also thinks that C a 4 8 and V 5 0 are beta unstable), Miller (interested in the reactions products of cobalt + 340 Mev protons), Sugarman (on pi meson reactions), Coryell (on the mass equation), and M. Goldhaber (he questions the isotopic assignment of 2-hour Y88).
The discussion leader for the evening session was Isadore Perlman, and the topic was Decay Energetics and Systematics. I was the first speaker, Hans Suess then spoke, followed by Charles Coryell and Truman Kohman. In Kohman's talk he suggested that P b
2 0 4 should have an alpha half-life of 5 x 1 0 1 6 years and wondered if the approximately 3 Mev alpha particle could be detected by nuclear emulsions.
Wednesday. June 25. 1952 - New Hampton. New Hampshire
Charles Coryell led this morning's discussion on nuclear fission with several of the speakers talking about muon-induced fission. Speakers were Tony Turkevich, Larry Glendenin, Rod Spence, Nate Sugarman, Nate Ballou, John Huizenga, and Leo Yaffe.
During the afternoon I managed to get out on the New Hampton School Golf Course for nine holes of golf with Al Ghiorso, Rod Spence, and Iz Perlman (AG-41, RS-45, IP-42, GTS-39).
Joe Kennedy, who was the discussion leader for the evening session on Tracers and Exchange Reactions, gave a report of the recent ACS Symposium at Notre Dame. Speakers were Dick (R. W.) Dodson, Arthur W. Adamson, Elizabeth D. Wilson, and James Cobble.
After the evening session I chatted for a while with Jim Cobble, who will be coming to Berkeley this fall in a postdoctoral position.
Thursday. June 26. 1952 - New Hampton. New Hampshire
John Willard led the morning session on Hot Atom Chemistry with speakers William H. Hamill and Russell R. Williams, Jr., Raymond R. Edwards, Arthur W. Adamson, and James Cobble.
The evening session on Techniques was led by Gert Friedlander and
had as speakers, C. S. Fisher, Casimer Borkowski, Maurice Goldhaber, Henry G. Thode, Bernard Harvey, Al Ghiorso, Earl Hyde, and others.
After the session I got together with Gert Friedlander and discussed the possibility of his visiting Berkeley for a couple of months to confer on work of mutual interest.
Friday. J u n e 27.1952 - New Hampton. New Hampshire
Joe Katz led the final session of the first Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry this morning on the subject of Heavy Element Chemistry. Speakers were Bun-is Cunningham, Stan Thompson, Clark Hindman, Stephen E. Stephanou, and Ed Westrum.
Sunday. June 21. 1953 - Franklin/New Hampton. New Hampshire
The trip from Franklin to New Hampton was made by cab. I was assigned to Room 11, Berry Hall. After greeting some old friends, Iz (who is co-chairman with Charles Coryell this year for this second Gordon Conference on Nuclear Chemistry) and I played nine holes of golf on the New Hampton School Golf Course, a rather short (4,020 yards), par 66 layout in which the 18 hold normal round is achieved by playing the nine- hole course twice (IP-38, GTS-44).
There was much socializing after dinner. I talked with old acquaintances and former students, such as Karl-Erik Zimen of GGteborg, Bill Jenkins, and Norman Bonner, et al., (Figure 2).
Monday. June 22. 1953 - New Hampton School. New Hampton. New Hampshire
This morning's session was devoted to Nuclear Systematics and chaired by Katharine Way (Bureau of Standards). Speakers were L. W. Nordheim (Duke) and I. Talmi (Princeton).
In the afternoon I played nine holes of golf with Rod Spence and Iz (RS-49, IP-42, GTS-41). The programs at these conferences, with the afternoons free, are set up to allow ample time for relaxation and conversation.
I chaired the evening session, again on Nuclear Systematics, with John Huizenga and Frank Asaro as speakers. [I heard a ratner amusing story about Frank Asaro, who has never been in New England during the summer and was concerned about the temperature. So, he arrived in Chicago, where the temperature was over 100°, wearing a heavy winter overcoat.]
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GORDON CONFERENCE JUNE 21 to JUNE 26, 1953
J.W.KENNEDY
F.R.MACKENZIE
MANFRED LINDNER
L O.MORGAN
R.H.TOMUNSON
R.HERBER
W.G. PARKS
G. a COOK
LESTER WINSBERG
A.R.BROSI
LEOYAFFE
R. B. LEACHMAN
W.W.ME3NKE
AW.FAIRHALL
R.E.BATZEL
E.O.W11G
H.E.MENKER
N. SUGARMAN
D.R. WILES
RC.FDC
W.HECKSOTTE
R. A. JAMES
C.L BROWNE
PETER KAFALAS
R.F. RIDER
GHOLAM W. BAZORGAN
SHERWOOD ROWLAND
R.W.FTOK
PAUL FIELDS
PAULM.LANTZ
E.K.HYDE
AA.CARETTO
HENRYSEUG
JOHN R. HUIZENGA
BRUCE DROPESKY
J. W. COBBLE
J.S.GILMORE
T.P.KOHMAN
C. G. HEININGER
A. W. SCHARDT
T.V.IRVINE
R.M. DIAMOND
VAN GOETSENHAUEN
S.S. FRASER
N.E.BALLOU
T. ALEX EASTWOOD
R.A.NAUMANN
J. M. MILLER
M. L. PERLMAN
A. K DAS GUPTA
S. N. WALTON
J.T.HORECZY
JOHNP.BALAGNA
JOHN W.WINCHESTER
THEODORE C.ENGELDER
ARTHUR KANT
E.H. FLEMING
NORMAN BONNER
H.L.FINSTON
L.G.STANG.JR.
L.&GOLDRING
R. WOLFGANG
R. R LEACHMAN
T.CHOERING
J.HUDB
H.L.SMTTH
G. J. ATCHISON
a A REYNOLDS
T.SUGfflARA
R.J.PRESTWDOD
T.T.SHULL
J. M. HOLLANDER
NOBUFUSASAITO
R.W.SPENCE
JOANWELKER
GEORGE P. FORD
ELLIS P. STEINBERG
ALEX GREEN
R.K.SHELINE
MARION WOOD
G. FRIEDLANDER
FRED BROWN
L. E. GLENDENIN
E.SEGRE
L PERLMAN
C D. CORYELL
G.T.SEABORG
KATHARINE WAY
L.W.NORDHEIM
A P. BAERG
P.FONG
F.ASARO
G. KAVANAGH
LTALMI
R.ABRIGHTSEN
AZUCKER
